Polish court upholds Mossad agent’s extradition

(JTA) — A Polish appeals court has upheld a decision to extradite an alleged Israeli Mossad agent suspected of involvement in the assassination of a Hamas leader in Dubai.

The court on Thursday upheld a Warsaw regional court judge’s decision in July to turn Uri Brodsky over to Germany, where he could face trial for falsification of documents and using false documents. He will be sent to Germany in 10 days.

Brodsky, who was arrested at the Warsaw Airport in early June, is suspected of having helped another Mossad agent, reportedly named Michael Bodenheimer, to illegally obtain a German passport as part of the plot to kill senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel room in January. According to the German federal prosecutor’s office, Bodenheimer received German citizenship based on fabricated evidence that his parents had fled Nazi Germany.

Mabhouh co-founded the military wing of the Islamist Hamas movement and allegedly was in Dubai to conclude a weapons deal when he was killed. Dubai police investigations reportedly pointed to the involvement of 33 people in the plot. They were placed on Interpol’s most wanted list, and Germany particularly sought Brodsky, according to reports.

The team allegedly used fake passports from England, Ireland, France, Australia and Germany. All five countries demanded explanations from Israeli diplomats in the case; the use of fake passports and stolen identities appeared to be of primary concern. Israel reportedly has not responded to the requests for explanations and has not said whether it was involved in the assassination of Mabhouh.